The rise of HTML5 for mobile development

Future relies on smart devices: Devices like smart phones, tablets are growing like virus in the industry. Isn’t? Everyday there are launch, update of new smart phones or their operating systems happing. The most important part is that users are responding vigorously to these devices because they are getting much more than their expectation. One smart phone does a lot of additional work along with just making a call. It can be used as a torch, camera, fm player, TV, multimedia player, chat machine etc. The most important feature of any smart phone is its power to connect the user to the world of internet through mobile networks that too from anywhere and anytime. All these facilities make a smart phone extremely useful and helpful. If we say our future relies on these devices, it will not be an over statement at all.

Smart device demands for smart apps: With the numbers of smart phones increasing with every passing day, it is becoming a headache for web developers to develop enterprise standard web apps that can run smoothly irrespective of platforms, devices and resources. As a result, they are bound to consider for mobile apps that can exert unmatched quality of user experience. For the same, there is an increasing demand for mobile app developers in the industry. We will discuss it next section.

HTML5 for mobile apps: Well, mobile apps like games, web apps, native apps and hybrid apps are the core for any mobile developer like android developer or iOS developer etc. They must consider user experience at the top of the list. To achieve the same, HTML5 is there in the industry. HTML5 is a new generation web development language to develop quality and attractive web apps. It can also be used for native app development as well. The core concept of using HTML5 over HTML is that, it helps in creating light weight, attractive, interactive and visually prominent web applications on the fly. We can embed video, graphics, canvas elements into our web page without much hassle. This helps the web developers and smart phone app developers to be updated and to be more productive than before.

HTML5 a weapon for responsive web application development: Responsive web development has been the talk of the cyber world recently. It means to develop an application that can impart same user experience irrespective of Platform, device screen size and resolution i.e. the application has the capability to accommodate itself for any types of situation. This is extremely important when we are living with a wide variety of devices like smart phones, tablets and desktop machines to browse a common application. Well, we can develop the same using HTML5 along with CSS3 and jQuery.

Mobile games in HTML5: Yes!! It is true that we can develop mobile games using HTML5. It can be possible through its latest canvas element. Well, the game should be light weight because it is intended for small hardware. There are many canvas libraries available in the internet that is extremely useful in developing good light weight mobile games.

You can hire certified HTML5 developers, who can help you develop web apps that are stable, scalable and secure.

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HTML5 - How is it beneficial for iOS apps?

The gradual boom of HTML5 has led several giants such as YouTube, Flickr as well as Facebook to use it. Although it was popular for web development at one point of time now it is finding more takers for mobile app development since it provides the perfect foundation to build sophisticated, responsive apps which can be directly run within a browser, providing a great experience. There are several benefits associated with it which has led to its increasing popularity amongst iOS, Windows, Android as well as Blackberry developers. One of the major shares of the market is being dominated by Apple’s iOS; so here’s taking a look at how HTML5 has benefitted iOS apps.

Time as well as cost saving- One of the most universal reasons for its unique popularity amongst developers is that the app need not be associated with any development platform. This allows a huge amount of time to be saved for project development work; the overall deployment cost decreases as well. In fact, the iOS app can be easily deployed on other platforms as well as put up in other app markets too.

Constant improvements- There was a time when HTML5 was not really multifunctional but with time the scenario has certainly changed. The fast evolving ecosystem is lending new functionalities with each passing day. It is supported by all mobile as well as modern desktop browsers.

Automatic updates- Apple is known for its comprehensive services; with HTML 5 developed apps, it can take its service to a different level. With such apps there is no need for manual updates; users do not have to do anything and the updates take place automatically. In fact, whoever visits or uses the application will see the latest version only. It not only provides the best benefit to the user in terms of service but the developer is benefitted as well since support for the app’s multiple versions need not be provided by them.

Full stack web technology- This is a benefit that is aimed solely for the developers since it helps make the app building process a whole lot easier one. Platforms such as Node.js make it easy to use full stacked web technologies from both clients as well as server. If the iPad version of a product has been developed and you need to develop the iPhone version then the same code as well as the technologies can be reused which makes the development a piece of cake. Even in server side the same thing can be repeated since several algorithms as well as data structures may be reused which leads to speedy development cycles, increased maintainability and low possibility of bugs and mistakes.

Huge developer community- Those who are still in the learning process find app development easy in HTML5 due to the support of its huge developer community. The back-end as well as front-end developers are provided with support and new tools.

Geolocation API- GPS hardware is fitted in Apple devices which helps find out the geographical locations. The geolocation technology in this development platform gives the developed apps a unique edge. The experience can be customized as well as tailored according to the location of the user.

Canvas drawing- This widely implemented feature supported by the platform gives the app the ability to mark off some space in a page so that interactive pictures, graphs, charts as well as 2D game components can be drawn without the need for downloading additional plugins.

There are several other reasons that iOS app developers find HTML5 beneficial for their usage. There are a multitude of features on offer which can make the apps richer making the overall user experience a more fulfilling one. It helps Apple uphold its status as a company with exceptional standards. For developers, mobile app development with the framework means that a lot can be achieved with a lot less work. Ultimately it creates a win-win situation for both users and developers of iPhone apps. You can get in touch with a custom HTML5 development company who can help you build html5 web apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

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Top 7 HTML5 APIs worth looking into

Many reports have highlighted that HTML5 will dominate the web application and mobile application development scene in 2014. As the applications written in HTML5 can run across all types of devices, web browsers and operating systems, it becomes easier for developers to build robust apps within a shorter span of time. Further, they do not have to put any extra effort to build different versions of the application for specific platforms. The growing popularity of HTML has further encouraged many developers to add innovative features to APIs to overcome the lack of browser support. Each developer can use these HTML5 APIs to deliver richer user experience without writing any additional code.

Seven HTML5 APIs Developers Must Look Into

1) High Resolution Time API

The interface allows you to get the current time in sub-millisecond resolution. Also, the time provided by the interface is free from system clock adjustments. Despite being simple, the API will help developers in measuring the performance of their software accurately. The accurate and precise timestamp enables them to test their code in an exact and flawless way. However, the programmers have to evaluate the function in a manner similar to JavaScript Date.now() function.

2) Navigation Timing API

An application’s page load time has a huge impact on user experience. So developers have to identify and troubleshoot the slow-loading pages to deliver richer user experience. The Navigation Timing API enables developers to get detailed timing information when a page is being loaded. At the same time, the interface further allows them to get additional information like TCP connection establishment, DDNS lookup, page redirects and time spent to build the DOM.

3) Network Information API

The user experience of a web application can be optimized by customizing the pages based on the user’s internet connection. The Network Information APIs makes it easier for developers to estimate the bandwidth and type of internet connection the use has. So the information provided by the interface helps them in optimizing the behavior of a web page. For instance, based on the type of connection, images, videos and fonts can be loaded in a conditional way.

4) Battery Status API

Often developers avoid mobile applications that require additional resources when the battery is low. The interface makes it easier for programmers to check the status of the battery of a mobile device. They have option to use four different properties of the interface to check if the battery is in charge, the current level of the battery, and the seconds remaining till the battery is fully recharged or discharged. Thus, they can optimize the page according to the state of the battery by disabling non-critical JavaScript and CSS animations, and Ajax requests.

5) Page Visibility API

As the name indicates, the interface enables programmers to check the current visibility status of a page. The information provided by the API will help developers in optimizing their web applications according to the available CPU and bandwidth. Also, they can disable or slow down a process that requires additional bandwidth or CPU, but not being accessed by the user currently. Thus, the interface will enable programmers to improve user experience by building CPU and bandwidth efficient web applications.

6) Fullscreen API

The interface is designed to receive and execute full screen display requests from the user. Also, it exits from the full screen mode when the user wants to. Based on its functionality, the API exposes the requestFullscreen() and exitFullscreen() methods. The former method executes the fullscreen request for an element, whereas the latter exits the fullscreen mode. The developers can use the interface to check if the fullscreen mode is enables or disabled.

7) WebSocket API

The performance of a web application also depends on the socket connection between the browser and server. With the interface, the developers can enables Web pages to establish a two-way communication with the remote host through the WebSocket protocol. The persistent communication between browser and server will result in smooth and uninterrupted exchange of data. However, the developers must create and instantiate a WebSocket object to establish a connection through the interface.

Each developer has option to choose from a variety of HTML5 APIs from the W3Schools website. The website further categorizes the APIs under different headings to make it easier for programmers to choose the APIs according to specific needs of a project. You can get in touch with a custom HTML5 Development company who can help you build HTML5 app within allocated budgets and time schedules.

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Is HTML5 Be The Future of Web Development?

Instead of jumping on to talk about whether HTML5 is shaping up to be the future of web development, let us instead discuss what actually HTML5 is and what its advantages are. Perhaps that will create a perfect backdrop which will make understanding of the topic of this discussion much easier.

HTML5 can be defined as a typical markup language that is used for framing and presenting modern web contents. It is the fifth generation of the language (hence the name HTML5) & is specifically designed to make it compatible for the latest multimedia devices. The language goes a long way in making these devices more user-friendly for the users, especially the ones who are not that tech-savvy.

There is no prize in guessing that the language comes up with a lot of advantages - a fact that gives it a substantial edge over other contemporary languages available in the market. Let us discuss some of them.

Mutuality: The first & foremost property that makes this language so special is its mutuality. We cannot deny the fact that the websites these days are getting more & more interactive with the incorporation of technologies like stream videos, fluid animations and various social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn & the likes. Till recently, the options available to the developers for integration of these technologies with the websites were limited to use of tools like Flash, Javascript, Silverlight or Flex. However, with the introduction of HTML5, they have now the option of embedding high resolution videos, audios, charts, animations and images as well as a lot of other high end contents with the use of any third party programs or plugins whatsoever. Now, that from the technological point of view is a giant leap that has been made possible by HTML5.

It's the best one for the mobile phones: This is another highly important factor that makes the language so very adorable these days. HTML5 makes life easier for the designers when it comes to designing web pages exclusively for the modern iPhones and mobiles. One should not forget that majority of the modern mobiles are unable to access Flash and here the language plays a pivotal role in delivering videos & various other multimedia contents to all these devices.

Better Semantics: The tags in HTML5 are designed in a more specific manner and this makes it easier for the users to ascertain which part of a particular page is a header, or a footer, or a navigation and the likes. Besides, it also helps the users in understanding the meaning and the purpose of the site – a fact that understandably increases the acceptability of the web pages. Hence, use of this particular language improves the semantic value of a web page, more so with the help of standardized codes.

Geo-location: This extremely important feature makes this particular language so popular & effective in terms of usability. With the help of this feature, users are able to directly locate it on any application or browser that is compatible with the language, irrespective of the location at any given point in time.

Improved Storage: One of the most vital factors that make HTML5 so very adorable is its new storage capacity as well as its related feature(s). The language can be termed as a perfect amalgamation between the traditional cookies and the database used by the clients. This helps in storing data over multiple windows. This in turn helps in better performance as well as security even after a browser is not in use. This understandably, also goes a long way when it comes to data safety and security.

OfflineApplication: Thanks to the offline application cache that the language comes up with, users have the option of using & accessing various applications even when they do not have their networks connected and working.

Help in Mobile gaming: No modern mobile comes without the option of high end gaming. The language gives the option of developing games with the help of <canvas> tag. This makes the games and the related applications more user-friendly as well as compatible to the modern mobiles, thereby making these devices extremely popular to the modern users. Naturally, this contributes to the betterment of the market of these devices.

HTML5 – set to bring in a revolution in web development: All the above-mentioned features along with a lot of others ostensibly make the language surely the one that will bring a revolution in the world of website development.

If one takes into account all these features not to mention the ones that are not discussed as well as the usability or acceptance of the language amongst the developers, one should not think twice before drawing this conclusion that the language is all set to bring in a revolution in the realm of web site development and programming.

With a constant R&D already under way, this can well be stated that this language is a trend setter in taking web development to an altogether new height. You can hire HTML5 programmers from top Web development companies who can help you build html5 web apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

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